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ARCH annual report

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on 30 September 2016 was 74,630, an increase from the figure of
73,120 at 30 June

this is also up 9% on the same quarter last year and by a
massive 55% on the low of 48,010 on 31 December 2010.

14,930 households were accepted as homeless between 1 July and
30 September 2016 - down by 1% over the previous quarter figure but
2% up on the same quarter in the previous year.

In addition, local authorities took action to prevent a further
52,920 households becoming homeless in the quarter - up by over
2,000 from the figure of 50,990 in the previous quarter and up 3%
on the figure of 51,300 in the same quarter of 2015.

ARCH CEO John Bibby
comments:

"These latest figures show that the number of households living
in temporary accommodation continues to rise.

"Council's already help prevent significant numbers of
households from becoming homeless and the Homeless Reduction Bill
currently being debated in Parliament may help further reduce the
need for councils to secure accommodation for those who are faced
with homelessness - providing local authorities are given the
resources needed.

"However, the underlying problem is the lack of secure
affordable accommodation to rent and the concern remains that stock
retained councils have fewer and fewer of their own social rented
properties becoming available to let each year and at some point
from April 2018 will also face the prospect of having to sell
vacant council housing to fund payments to Government under the
Housing and Planning Act to reimburse housing associations for
Right to Buy (RTB) discounts.

"The number of households living in temporary accommodation (and
the cost to the council general fund and council tax payer) will
continue to rise unless councils are able to build more social
rented housing to help those most in need. With councils
effectively subsidising housing associations in reimbursing RTB
discounts there is also a strong case for imposing a statutory duty
to co-operate on housing associations requiring them to assist
councils in securing accommodation for those households that have
become homeless through no fault of their own."